i've been watching the awakener7 videos on youtube,are the punches really thrown elliptical like that? its kinda neat.he also showed the straight blast with the elbows pointing down,is that how bruce did them,was that his modifications?

It is one way of throwing the Straight Lead and Backfist.
Some people don't believe that it works (I do).
Many videos you see show people that are coming past the centerline too far.
It only takes a little...

It is also referred to as "Shortening the Arc" or a "Short Arc Return"

jmp

Does anyone know if there's any "rule" regarding when we retract straight and when we do the short arc? What it the difference functionally?

The Short Arc isn't about the Retraction so much as it is about the FOLLOW THROUGH.
The retraction just looks different as a result of the follow through.

I have been teaching the short arc straight punch for many years! As John states, it is about the follow through. If there is a punch that will knock someone out cold, this is it! As for which punching method is used, it is all about the range you start from and what you want the desired outcome to be! The short arc straight punch is my favorite method of intercepting, therefore I refer to this punch in my curriculum as the INTERCEPTING FIST!

The elbow always seeks the centerline in jik chung chuie. And yes, that is the way that Bruce Lee taught the straight blast! In fact, most of the Wing Chun instructors that I know also teach the blast with the elbows in and down. This makes for a much more compact flurry of punches, and protects the centerline better as the punches go out! I teach my students to first inflict injury to create the opening/opportunity, then BLAST AWAY! This is, in my opinion, the fastest, most explosive and devastating method of repetition punching humanly possible! No wonder it was Bruce Lee's favorite technique to use in a real fight! That was told directly to me by Sifu Dan Inosanto himself!

Keep Blasting!
Sifu Lamar M. Davis II
Senior Instructor
Hardcore Jeet Kune Do
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Jerry Poteet is the one that personally shown this to me... I teach this to my friends/students for a long time... But I would have to disagree that the follow through is more important... BL did this kind of punch because of the snap at the end, which comes from the return... Think of no rebound... Its not just the follow through, both complete the short arc - circle in motion... Something to think about!


Keep "IT" real,
John McNabney

Bruce did the straight lead both ways look at the straight retraction in return of the dragon when fighting chuck its at 6;06 i believe...

john,

Just a semantic difference.
The follow through is just before the beginning of retraction.
The return happens after the hit is over